_Of the sowing and ordering of all manner of Pot-hearbs._
When you haue prepared your ground, and cast your beds in an orderly
fashion, as is before spoken, you shall then take your Séeds which
Séeds would by no meanes be aboue a yéere olde: and hauing sorted them
seuerally, euery one by it selfe, and appointed the beds which shall
seuerally receiue them: you shall in this manner sowe your Pot-hearbs,
which craue not much roote, because their onely benefit is in the
leafe: take your séeds and put them into a wooden Tray, then take your
Garden moulde, the finest that may be, being made almost as fine as
ashes, and mixe your Séeds, and that mould very well together, then goe
to the bedde where you meane to bestow them, and hauing newly rackt
it (to stirre vp the fresh mould) with your hand sprinkle and sowe
them all ouer the bed, so thicke as may be: which done, with a fine
Rake, rake the bed gently ouer, then taking spare fine mould, put it
into a ridling Siue, and sift it ouer the bed better then two fingers
thickenesse, and so let it rest: thus you shall doe seuerally with
euery séede one after another, bestowing euery one vpon a seuerall bed.
[Sidenote: Of all sorts of Pot-hearbs.]
[Sidenote: Of _Endiue_ and _Succorie_.]
Now for your Pot-hearbs, which are most generally in vse, they be
these: _Endiue_ and _Succorie_, which delight in moyst ground, and
will endure the winter. _Bleete_ of which there be two kindes, Red and
White: this Hearbe neuer néedeth wéeding, and if he be suffered to shed
his séed it will hardly euer to be got out of a Garden.
[Sidenote: Of Beets.]
Then _Beets_, which must be much wéeded, for they loue to liue by
themselues, and if they grow too thicke you may take them vp when they
are a finger long in their owne earth, and set them in another bed, and
they will prosper much better.
[Sidenote: Land-Cresses.]
Then land _Cresses_, which is both a good Pot-hearbe and a good
Sallet-Hearbe: it loueth shadowie places, where the Sunne shineth
least, and standeth in néed of little dung.
[Sidenote: Parcely.]
Then _Parcely_, which of all Hearbs is of most vse, it is longest in
appearing aboue ground, and the elder séed is the quicker in growth,
but not the surer; but eyther being once come vp increase naturally,
and doe hardly euer decay: it cannot grow too thicke, but as you vse it
you must cut off the toppes with your knife, and by no meanes pull vp
the rootes: if it be put into a little pursse, and beaten against the
ground, to bruise it a little before it be sowne, it will make it haue
a large crisped leafe.
[Sidenote: Of Sauory.]
Then _Sauory_, of which are two kindes, the Winter-_Sauory_, and
Summer, both delight in leane ground, and are quicke of growth, and
long lasting.
[Sidenote: Of Time.]
Then _Time_, of which are also two kindes, the running _Time_, and the
Garden _Time_: they delight in fertile ground, and from the séede are
very slow of growth, therefore it is best euer to set them from the
slip. The running _Time_ doth delight in the shadow, but the Garden
_Time_ in the Sunne.
[Sidenote: French Mallowes.]
Then French-_Mallowes_, which will ioy in any ground, and are quicke of
growth.
[Sidenote: Cheruill.]
Then _Cheruill_, which will not by any meanes grow with any other
Hearbe.
[Sidenote: Of Dill.]
Then _Dill_, which may be sowne almost in any moneth of the yéere as
well as March: it endureth all weathers, but loueth the warmth best.
[Sidenote: Of Isop.]
Then _Isop_, which in like manner as _Time_ is, slow of growth from
the séed, and therefore fitter to be set from the slips, after it
hath once taken roote it encreaseth wonderfully, and will hardly be
destroyed.
[Sidenote: Of Mints.]
Then _Mints_, which flourish onely in the Summer time, but dye in the
Winter, it delighteth most in the moyst ground.
[Sidenote: Violets.]
Then _Violets_, the leaues whereof are a good Pot-hearb, and the
Flowers preserued in close glasse pots, with strong Wine-vinegar and
Sugar, a most excellent Sallet: it doth delight to grow high, and will
grow spéedely eyther from the plant or from the séed.
[Sidenote: Of Basill.]
Then _Basill_, which would be sowne in the warme weather, as at the
beginning of May, for the séed is tender, and when you haue sowne it,
you shall presse the earth downe vpon it with your féet, for the séede
can endure no hollownesse: if you sowe it at the fall of the Leafe, you
shall sprinkle the séede with Vinegar, and when you water it let the
Sunne be at his height.
[Sidenote: Sweet Marioram.]
Then swéet _Marioram_, which would be sowne on rich ground, and farre
from Sunneshine, for it taketh no delight in his beames.
[Sidenote: Marigolds.]
Then _Marigolds_, which renew euery moneth, and endure the Winter as
well as the Summer: this Hearbe the oftner you remoue it, the bigger it
groweth.
[Sidenote: Of Strawberries.]
Then _Strawberries_, whose leaues are a good Pot-hearbe, and the fruit
the wholesommest berry: this Hearbe of all other, would be set of the
plant, and not sowne from the séed, for the oft changing and remouing
of it causeth it to grow bigger and bigger: it groweth best vnder the
shadowes of other Hearbes, but very sufficiently in beds, or else where.
[Sidenote: Of Borage and Buglosse.]
Then _Borage_ and _Buglosse_, both which are of one nature: they would
be sowne in small quantity, for where they take they will runne ouer
a whole Garden: the séed must be gathered when it is halfe ripe it is
so apt to shed, and when you gather it you must plucke vp the stalkes,
leaues & all, and so laying them one vpon another thrée or foure dayes,
their own heat will bring the séed to ripenes.
[Sidenote: Of Rosemary.]
Then _Rosemary_, which is an Hearbe tender and curious, yet of
singular vertue: it is soone slaine with frost or lightening: it
will grow plentifully from the séede, but much better from the slip,
it delighteth to be planted against some Wall where it may haue the
reflection of the Sunne, for to stand vnpropped of himselfe, the very
shaking of the winde will kill it.
[Sidenote: Of Penyroyal.]
Then _Penyroyall_, which most properly is vsed to be mixt with
Puddings, made of the bloud of Beasts, & Oatmeale: of it there be two
kindes, Male and Female: the Male beareth a white flower, and the
Female a purple: it must be sowne in small quantity, for it will runne
and spread ouer-much ground: it delighteth most in moyst earth.
[Sidenote: Of Leekes.]
Then _Leekes_, which would haue a fertile ground, and as soone as they
be shot vp a good length you shall cut the blades to the polt, and then
remoue the heads, and set them borderwise about your other beds: this
remouing after the cutting off the blades, wil make them grow bigger,
and prosper better, as for thrusting Oyster-shels or Tyle-shreads vnder
them, to make the heads bigger, it is a toy, for if the mould be loose
and good, the Léeke will come to his perfect growth: they may be sowne
both in March, Aprill, May, and Iune, and they may be remoued all Iuly,
August, September and October.
[Sidenote: Of Onions.]
Then _Onions_, which differ not much from the nature of Léekes, they
loue a fertile Soyle, and would be sowne with the séeds of Sauory: when
they come vp if they grow too thicke, as is often séene, you shall
plucke vp some and spend them in the Pot and in Sallets, to giue the
rest more roome, and some you shall take vp and replant in other beds,
which you may preserue for séede: those _Onions_ which you would not
haue to séede, you shall cut off the blades in the midst, that the
iuyce may descend downeward, and when you sée the heads of the _Onions_
appearing aboue the earth, you shall with your féet tread them into the
ground: there be some very well experienst Husbands, which will take
the fayrest, goodliest and soundest Onions they can get, and in this
moneth of March set them thrée fingers déepe in the earth, and these
of all other bring forth the purest and best séede, for which purpose
onely they are preserued: as soone as your séed-Onions are knotted, you
shall vnderproppe them with square cradles, made of stickes, least the
waight of the boules which carry the séede, should breake the blades.
[Sidenote: Of gathering Onion-seede, or the Onion.]
The time of gathering your séede is, when it is all turned purely
blacke, and the time of gathering the Onions is, when the heads doe
forsake the earth, after they be gathered you shall lay them on a dry
floore for a fortnight, or more, and then binde them vp in ropes, and
hang them where they may haue the ayre of the fire, onely note that
shall gather your Onions in the increase of the Moone, as they were
sowne, and not otherwise.
Many other Pot-hearbs there be, which for as much as they differ
nothing, eyther in sowing, planting, or ordering, from these which I
haue rehearsed, I will héere omit them, and thinke this sufficient,
touching the sowing and ordering of all manner of Pot-hearbs.